It’s fairly rare for me to try a new varietal, especially since I’m always on the lookout for things I’ve never tasted before. But last night at an Italian wine dinner, we were tasting unusual Italian wines; I got to try the 06 Branchini Pignoletto from Bologna, in the Emilia-Romagna region of Northern Italy.

This is a light, crisp, medium plus acidity wine. It pairs perfectly with asparagus wrapped in prosciutto and covered with mozzarella.

According to the Oxford Companion of Wine, edition 3, there are only 7,000 ha of this varietal growing.